ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team topped Marist, 63-50, in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament Tuesday. The Broncs improve to 10-20, while the Red Foxes close out the year at 12-18.
 
Down 6-3 early, Rider went on a 6-0 run, including a three from Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg [Buffalo]) and the Broncs led 11-8 after one.
 
Leading 13-10 early in the second, Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) scored five-straight points to extend the lead to eight and the Broncs led 29-19 at the half.
 
Midway through the third, with Rider leading 35-30, Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) drained a three that started an 8-0 run, capped by a triple from Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep). Marist scored the final five points of the quarter, leaving Rider with a 43-35 lead entering the fourth.
 
The Red Foxes extended the run to start the fourth, making it a 16-3 extended rally, tying the game at 46-46. Rider had the immediate answer, Mobley scored six and Firebaugh added four during a 12-0 run that decided the game.
 
Quotes & Notes
"Super proud of the effort of our young ladies. We've had a lot of adversity, we had adversity today. I thought you saw the young ladies that just refuse to lose. In March, everyone wants to win. It's not about who wants to win more, it's about who refuses to lose."
 
"There wasn't any panic in our huddle, there wasn't any fear. We got a little scared on some possessions we rushed, but when you sit in a huddle as a coach and you make eye contact will all five players, and they're locked in, you don't worry about that stuff." – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"Presses, once we're good, are easy to beat. We're going to get easy looks, like a two on one or three on two."
 
"We knew going into the game that we couldn't have any lulls. So once it started to happen we realized we need to pick it up, be more aggressive defensively. Don't let what they're doing change how we play." – Graduate Guard Amanda Mobley
 
- Rider won all three games over Marist this season and cuts into the Red Foxes' lead in the all-time series, now at 47-22.
- Mobley led the Broncs with a career-high 20 points, her ninth game in double figures this year.
- Firebaugh finished with 19 points, her 21^st game in double figures this season.
- Toomey added 10 points, her 13^th game in double figures this season.
- Sofie Bruintjes (Zwolle, The Netherlands/CTO Amsterdam) made her first career start and tied a career-high with six points, and grabbed a career-high six boards.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 39.3% (22-56) from the field, and 28.6% (8-28) from three. The Red Foxes shot 30.5% (18-59) from the floor, and went 21.1% (4-19) from behind the arc.
- Marist held a 38-37 advantage on the glass, including a 12-8 lead in offensive boards. Mobley had eight boards to lead the Broncs.
- The Broncs had 17 assists on their 22 made baskets, led by five from Mobley.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs advance and will face second-seeded Niagara on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.